Valletta 2026 — Festival on Youth Engagement for a Radical Green Europe
Valletta, Malta | 11–13 May 2026 | WP1 · First transnational event
190 participants · 7 countries of residence · 3 event days
Hosted by Valletta Local Council, the Festival on Youth Engagement for a Radical Green Europe opened the project’s transnational programme. Local authorities, young people, artists, cultural organisations and project partners met to explore the links between civic participation, cultural heritage, creativity and sustainability.
The three-day event combined institutional dialogue and exchanges of local experience with practical workshops, youth-led heritage activities and a symbolic tree-planting action. It established a shared framework for the cooperation that continued in Shkodër and will develop through the project’s subsequent events.
The event at a glance
Event: Festival on Youth Engagement for a Radical Green Europe. Host and WP1 lead: Valletta Local Council, also the project coordinator. Project Secretariat: Focus Europe ETS. Format: in-person Networks of Towns event, festival, mutual learning and exchange of good practices.
The event connected discussions at Valletta Local Council with practical experiences at Valletta Design Cluster, local Festa workshops, cultural sites and Hastings Garden. The common focus was how young people and cultural actors can participate in the green transition through activities rooted in their own communities.
11 May — Launching the cooperation
The first day brought the international delegations together at Valletta Local Council for the welcome and project introduction. Focus Europe presented the CERV programme and the objectives, activities and expected results of Radical Green.
The consortium partners introduced their local contexts, their Local Climate Action Groups (LCAGs) and their initial initiatives. These groups connect young people, local institutions and cultural organisations around creative approaches to environmental action.
A round table on Youth and Sustainability, led by Manuel Leiva López of Focus Europe, provided an opportunity to discuss how art and culture could support participation in the project. The exchange established a common starting point for the workshops and the next stages of cooperation.
12 May — Art, culture and practical exchange
The second day focused on mutual learning and creative activities. Vincent Zammit contributed a keynote on Art, Culture and Green Transition: A Common Language for a Sustainable Europe. Partner presentations shared experiences and ideas connecting local cultural practices with sustainability.
Hands-on sessions at Valletta Design Cluster brought the project participants into contact with local young people. The workshops explored creative green actions, including visual expression, recycled-material artworks and sustainable design. They complemented the institutional discussions with practical cooperation and exchange of methods.
A visit to a youth-managed St Dominic Festa workshop introduced the role of restoration and making in local cultural life. This experience connected the project’s themes with the skills, collective work and continuity of practices found within Valletta’s community traditions.
13 May — Heritage, public spaces and green action
The final day connected cultural heritage with environmental awareness. Activities included material from the Festa workshops and a visit to the Mount Carmel Festa workshop, alongside an exploration of urban transformation through the MICAS walking tour.
A symbolic tree-planting action at Hastings Garden gave a visible local expression to the event’s environmental themes. Creative sessions and a visit to St John’s Co-Cathedral further connected artistic practice, heritage and the local setting.
The concluding exchanges brought together the experiences of the three days and prepared the continuation of Radical Green. The emphasis was on carrying the ideas and methods back into the participating communities and their Local Climate Action Groups.
Participation and results
The event recorded 190 participants from seven countries of residence: Malta (155), Italy (14), Albania (6), Portugal (6), Belgium (4), Spain (3) and France/Corsica (2). The Event Description Sheet records 107 women, 71 men and 12 non-binary participants.
The event launched the transnational cooperation process, introduced the partners and their local groups, and connected exchanges of good practices with creative workshops and youth-led heritage experiences. The tree-planting activity provided a concrete local action, while photographs, video and event documentation contributed to the Radical Green digital archive.
These results form the starting point for the project’s continuing exchange between local authorities, young people and cultural organisations. The event documentation below provides the detailed account of the activities and participation.
Event film
Watch the film documenting the first Radical Green transnational event in Valletta.
Photo gallery
Photographs from the project’s existing Valletta gallery, retained here as part of the first event’s archive. (Ph. Paolo Barone)
Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 1 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 2 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 3 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 4 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 5 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 6 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 7 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 8 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 9 Radical Green — Valletta, 11–13 May 2026 — photo 10
Event documentation
The Event Description Sheet contains the detailed account of the event, the participation statistics, the main activities and the references to project communication.
Further reading and project channels
About Radical Green
Radical Green — Increasing citizens’ participation in the green transition through art performances and cultural initiatives. Project No. 101249579 | Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme | Networks of Towns.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.